The article argues that recent executive overreach and politicization have severely undermined established norms of U.S. civil-military relations. To restore professional standards, the incoming Congress must actively exercise its oversight powers, moving beyond mere criticism to demanding transparency in defense policy and personnel decisions. Key reforms include enforcing meritocratic promotion processes, requiring documented justification for senior officer removals, and preventing the partisan use of the military. These actions are crucial for bolstering public trust and ensuring the military remains a nonpartisan instrument of civilian control.
What the Iran War Taught China About Fighting the United States
English Summary
The article argues that China views the Iran conflict as a critical case study demonstrating that military victory is unnecessary for strategic success. Iran's ability to impose costs by choking the Strait of Hormuz and spiking energy markets proved that economic disruption can be a more potent form of warfare than conventional combat. Beijing plans to apply this 'coercion over conquest' model to the Indo-Pacific, suggesting that layered campaigns of maritime quarantine, cyber disruption, and financial pressure are optimal. This strategy aims not for immediate conquest, but for cumulative pressure designed to constrain U.S. decision-making and exhaust its resources across multiple theaters.
中文摘要
本文論述，中國視伊朗衝突為一個關鍵案例研究，證明了軍事勝利並非實現戰略成功的必要條件。伊朗透過封鎖霍爾木茲海峽和推高能源市場價格等方式，成功施加了成本，這證明了經濟擾動可以成為比傳統戰鬥更強大的戰場形式。北京計劃將這種「威懾而非征服」的模式應用於印度-太平洋地區，暗示了實施多層次戰役——包括海上封鎖、網路擾動和金融施壓——是最優化的策略。此戰略的目標並非立即征服，而是旨在累積壓力，從而限制美國的決策能力，並使其在多個戰區耗盡資源。
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